Doug Aitken

Song 1

August 2012

In a bold effort to redefine the public exhibition space, the Hirshhorn Museum has commissioned Doug Aitken’s most ambitious work to date. Song 1 is an unprecedented 360-degree moving-image work, requiring 11 high-definition projectors, that seamlessly blends imagery to illuminate the façade of the museum’s iconic cylindrical building--transforming it into “liquid architecture”--and create an urban soundscape. The scope of the artwork is large, yet at its core is a basic concept. Based around a single song, “I Only Have Eyes for You,” the piece explores the idea of pure communication through the perfect pop song. This distinctive book, designed by the artist and shaped to emulate the form of the Hirshhorn itself, visually interprets the work and places the work in a broader art historical and cultural context.